The conjugation of the French verb faire is essential for anyone learning the language because faire means “to do” or “to make” and appears in countless idiomatic expressions, compound tenses, and everyday sentences. Mastering its various forms enables learners to construct accurate statements about actions, weather, emotions, and more, making it a cornerstone of functional French communication.
Overview of the Verb Faire
Faire is an irregular verb, which means its stem changes depending on the tense and mood. Unlike regular -er verbs, it does not follow a single pattern, so students must memorize its distinct conjugations. That said, many of its forms share similarities with other irregular verbs like aller and être, which can aid recognition. Below, we break down the most important tenses and moods, providing clear tables and explanations to help you internalize each form.
Present Indicative (Présent de l’indicatif)
The present tense is used for habitual actions, general truths, and current events. The stem fa‑ changes to fai‑, fais‑, fait, faisons, faites, font.
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | fais | I do / make |
| tu | fais | you (singular informal) do / make |
| il/elle/on | fait | he/she/one does / makes |
| nous | faisons | we do / make |
| vous | faites | you (plural/formal) do / make |
| ils/elles | font | they do / make |
Note: The pronunciation of font is /fɔ̃/, nasal and distinct from the singular forms.
Past Tenses
Passé Composé
The passé composé expresses completed actions in the past. It is formed with the auxiliary verb avoir in the present plus the past participle fait (which does not agree with the subject unless preceded by a direct object) That alone is useful..
- J’ai fait mes devoirs. (I did my homework.)
- Nous avons fait une promenade. (We took a walk.)
Imparfait
The imparfait describes ongoing or repeated past actions, background settings, or states. Its stem is fais‑ and the endings are the regular imperfect endings.
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | faisais | I was doing / used to do |
| tu | faisais | you were doing |
| il/elle/on | faisait | he/she/one was doing |
| nous | faisions | we were doing |
| vous | faisiez | you were doing |
| ils/elles | faisaient | they were doing |
Plus‑que‑parfait
This tense indicates an action that had occurred before another past action. It uses the imperfect of avoir plus fait.
- Elle avait fait le gâteau avant l’arrivée des invités. (She had made the cake before the guests arrived.)
Passé Simple
Primarily found in literature, the passé simple narrates completed past actions. Its stem is fit‑.
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| je | fus (actually fus is for être; correct: je fis) |
| tu | fus (again incorrect) |
| il/elle/on | fit |
| nous | fîmes |
| vous | fîtes |
| ils/elles | firent |
Correct forms: je fis, tu fis, il/elle/on fit, nous fîmes, vous fîtes, ils/elles furent (actually furent is for être; the correct is ils/elles firent). So the proper set is:
- je fis
- tu fis
- il/elle/on fit
- nous fîmes
- vous fîtes
- ils/elles firent
Passé Antérieur
Rare and literary, the passé antérieur uses the passé simple of avoir plus fait Worth knowing..
- Après qu’il eut fait ses devoirs, il sortit. (After he had done his homework, he went out.)
Future Tenses
Futur Simple
The futur simple expresses actions that will happen. The stem for faire is fer‑.
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | ferai | I will do / make |
| tu | feras | you will do |
| il/elle/on | fera | he/she/one will do |
| nous | ferons | we will do |
| vous | ferez | you will do |
| ils/elles | feront | they will do |
Futur Antérieur
This tense indicates an action that will have been completed before another future action. It uses the future of avoir plus fait.
- Quand tu auras fait tes exercices, tu pourras sortir. (When you will have done your exercises, you will be able to go out.)
Conditional Mood
Présent du Conditionnel
The present conditional expresses hypothetical or polite actions. The stem is again fer‑.
| Subject | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| je | ferais | I would do / make |
| tu | ferais | you would do |
| il/elle/on | ferait | he/she/one would do |
| nous | ferions | we would do |
| vous | feriez | you would do |
| ils/elles | feraient | they would do |
Passé du Conditionnel
The past conditional speaks about actions that would have happened under different conditions. It uses the conditional of avoir plus fait.
- Nous aurions fait un voyage si nous avions eu plus de temps. (We would have taken a trip if we had had more time.)
Subjunctive Mood
Présent du Subjonctif
The present subjunctive follows expressions of doubt, emotion, necessity, or opinion. The stem fass‑
